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KOLKATA | Public Transport

130K views 271 replies 33 participants last post by  Stuu 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Kolkata, where I was born ‘n brought up, was the former capital of India. As a capital, British rulers planned for a good urban transportation. As a result, the starting of Kolkata tram happened.

After some early failure, first horse tram was opened in 1880 by Lord Ripon. The first route was mostly followed by later electric tram route 14, although some parts of that route is now closed.

Steam tram was opened in 1982, following by later electric tram route 29 up to Tollyganj. Almost entire route has now closed after opening the metro line, although route 29 is now diverged by a different way.

Finally, electric tram started in 1902, following current route 36.

Electric tram opened on other side of River Hugli in 1905 in Bandhaghat route. Both Kolkata & Haorha routes were connected much later by current Rabindra Nath Setu in 1941.

Anti tram world started shaking Kolkata some later in 1970. Till then some routes has closed, although 2 routes opened many years after independence in 1985 & 1986.



Struggling with many incidents, and supporting of many people, Kolkata’s tram is now Asia’s oldest operating electric tram. Currently it has 36 routes, although no any extensions are now planned.

At one time, CTC drivers were sent for psych evaluations to determine whether or not they were accident prone.



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But especially after independence, immigrants were too much in Kolkata from then East Pakistan, population jumped massively. The tram network was highly overused, which started often breakdown. To release this, transport authority finally planned for Kolkata metro.

Due to difficult tunneling conditions, the line, which opened in 1984, took more than two decades to build. The metro has the alleged dubious distinction of the only metro dug by hand. It is unknown if the construction people also used spoons. After much constructional & political delay, metro opened finally in 1984, when I was a student of class 1. Due to lack of improved technologies, further construction moved very slowly,, but finally this line completed in 1995, replacing a long tram route through central Kolkata.



More routes were planed, but only line 2 got maturities for construction in 2008, no serve the Haorha side, passing under river Hugli.

In 2010, as a transport boom, new extensions & 4 completely new lines were announced and construction started. Currently 5 new lines are u/c, and extension of line 1 is going on.

Calming music is played in the metro to avoid the 59 attempted suicides since the metro's opening.


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POST AS MANY AS PHOTOS, MAPS AND VIDEOS OF KOLKATA TRAM & METRO HERE.
 
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#116 · (Edited)
The area near JK Bridge being cordoned off for the E-W Metro-

Here is my pic updates of e-w metro,
near JK bridge, see the turn!!



these things are actually the side barriers for the metro f/o
K'mayee Xing, the Xing pillar seems prone to posters!!!

Karunamoyee Station U/C-

Here u go, that's the Karunamayee Station

Part of the EW line which has not been pictured much,the part which starts from bengal chemical to swabhumi.
 
#117 ·
A very old rare pic of the first Calcutta Metro coach being lowered.

In those days, there was no connection between north & south point, neither with the main line railway. So there was no way to get the metro coach down directly under ground by crane.

The tram line was relocated, behind the metro coach.

A very old pic
cc outlook india



New start: A coach is lowered into place for the Calcutta Metro

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